The Gothic Film: From Classic to "Blockbuster"

The Gothic Heroine

"The contemporary gothic heroine moves from the role of victim to the role of collaborator, a move that frees her from the constraints of her culture, and redeems the monster, instead of merely defeating him" (Harbin)

In her role as the central female figure, the gothic heroine has gone from the dependent, innocent victim in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919), to the dependent, "masculine" figure in Underworld (2003). With the changing and developing beliefs about and from women during the twentieth century, the figure of the female has become more complex, only to, in turn, simplify the genre of "gothic film".

Through numerous women's and feminist movements, the image of the gothic heroine has followed society's progression with and development of women's rights. In the early twentieth century, the heroine of gothic film was a victim, as women still did not have full rights, recognition, or freedom during this time. With the new millennium, women are individuals in society who are no longer stuck in the home, but are part of the working, real world. As film narratives "are ways societies communicate to their members about some of the important things in life" (Berger 159), the gothic heroine has changed to include qualities of the villain and hero.